As I entered the seventh grade, bar and bat mitzvahs busied my every weekend with the services followed by parties to celebrate the day a Jew becomes an adult. At the end of most celebrations, a party favor, such as a T-shirt or water bottle with the name and date of the bar or bat mitzvah on it, was handed out. But, for my bat mitzvah, I wanted to do something different, to stand out against the crowd and give people something that meant more than just a memory of the night.

As people left my bat mitzvah party, they were each handed a yellow Livestrong bracelet. At this point, nearing the end of October in 2004, the bracelets had picked up momentum as becoming a symbol though which people could proudly show that said I care and I am showing that I care. Costing only one dollar, anyone and everyone could afford a wristband.
The Livestrong wristbands were first introduced to the world in May of 2004 and the money went to support the Lance Armstrong Foundation, now the Livestrong Foundation. Today, there are many more products that can be bought through the foundation, such as apparel and accessories, with 100 percent of the proceeds after expenses going to the Livestrong Foundation, which raises money for cancer support and research. Since the foundation first launched, over 470 million dollars have been raised, according to Livestrong's website.
The money from the foundation goes to many different programs and studies, such as the Community Impact Project, which works to reach out to communities on a more local level, and Fertile Hope, which provides resources and information for those going through treatment where there is a risk of infertility. Needless to say, the yellow wristbands became the staple and symbol for what would be one of the leading monetary contributors to cancer support and research.

But, the man who created the foundation, the man who provided hope and showed people around the world that anything can be done with his Olympic medal and seven Tour de France wins to prove it, has a new obstacle- one that he essentially created for himself.
Lance Armstrong, in an interview with Oprah, confessed to using performance-enhancing drugs and blood doping during the time during which he won his seven Tour de France titles and an Olympic medal for cycling after overcoming his 1996 diagnosis of testicular cancer, which had spread to his lungs, lymph nodes, abdomen and brain.

There had been past allegations that Armstrong had been doping, but they were never publicly proven to be true, and all of the drug tests and screenings he went through never publicly showed any fault.

According to CNN, the latest investigation showed that Armstrong covered a test screen that showed the use of corticosteroids by lying along with his teammates and paying for officials to keep quiet.

Last Thursday, the Olympic Committee stripped him of the bronze medal he won in Sydney in 2000, and in October he was stripped of his Tour de France titles by the International Cycling Union. But, in addition to the consequences already put in place, should the reputation he holds through his charity efforts with the Livestrong Foundation be tarnished?
CNN has cited that some of Armstrong's biggest critics have crossed out the "v" in Livestrong, making it become "Lie strong." This is excessive, especially since Armstrong did step down as chairman and is no longer officially associated with the Livestrong Foundation, according to ABC News.

While what Armstrong did with his athletic career should not be condoned, the work he put into raising money and awareness for cancer research and support should not be put down.
Although the athletic and charity aspects of his life did overlap in some ways, they are different in what they do and how they are handled. It is simply not fair to let one aspect overshadow the other.

Yes, Armstrong cheated his way to all of the titles that were stripped of him, but the money his foundation raised, and continues to raise, is real. Unless it is ever proven that Armstrong had abused the foundation he created and cheated that system, his efforts with the Livestrong Foundation should be supported.

I think it is fair to say that the Livestrong wristbands went out of fashion a few years back before the doping allegations reached their peak, and the lack of yellow bands on the wrists of people around the world is not a statement to show discontent with Armstrong. But, when people did wear them, they wore them predominantly to show that they wanted to help support cancer research and programs, rather than in support of the cycling efforts of Armstrong.

As much as Armstrong lied and cheated, the cancer he had was genuine. Overcoming the cancer was real.

Helping others overcome cancer was, and continues to be real. This is true despite how terrible everything he did was.

Though the efforts of his foundation do not compensate for his wrongdoings in any way, shape or form, punishing the efforts and success of the Livestrong Foundation because Armstrong is not the man he promised the world to be cheats all of the patients and survivors who benefit from the foundation.

With the whole situation still unfolding, it is too soon to tell what the overall affect on the Livestrong Foundation will be. Hopefully people don't let Armstrong get in the way of benefiting a great cause.
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